Now THIS is how to celebrate May Morning in style - bizarre city custom returns

May Morning Oxford 2019 - city's unusual custom returns

WHILE most of us were tucked up in bed at 5am this morning, thousands of people in Oxford were gearing up for the return of a centuries-old tradition.

Crowds lined the medieval streets of the university city from the break of dawn as May Morning celebrations kicked off.

The tradition dates back more than 500 years and sees students and Oxford locals alike wake before sunrise celebrate the onset of spring.

Scroll through the pictures above to see the party in full swing

About 13,500 people fell silent on Oxford's iconic Magdalen Bridge as the Great Tower clock chimed in 6am, followed by the ethereal sound of choristers singing from the top of Oxford University's famous Magdalen College tower.

This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here